1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tongs, and more particularly pertains to food handling tongs configured to facilitate removal of excess fats from food items. Many forms of food, and especially fried foods such as hamburger patties, include a large quantity of saturated fats. Medical studies have repeatedly shown that heart disease and cancer are linked to high fat and cholesterol diets. In order to eliminate excess fats from fried foods, the present invention provides food handling tongs specifically constructed to squeeze excess fats and grease from food items.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of tongs are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a tong device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,683, which issued to F. Meyer on Nov. 29, 1963. This patent discloses a pair of tongs for squeezing paint from paint rollers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,775, which issued to L. Boyd on Jun. 22, 1976, discloses a set of tongs for grasping material which includes a pair of jaws and a pair of handles correspondingly secured to the jaws. The jaws have a plurality of tines with lateral extensions to reduce the space between the tines. In addition, the tines may include inward protrusions to stabilize the material grasp by the tongs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,365, which issued to J. Rader on Jan. 11, 1977, discloses tongs for handling food items upon a grill in which the food gripping parts of the tongs are displaced laterally as well as apart when opened to enable the user of the tongs to see the food item as it is being gripped by the tongs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,900, which issued to L. Chasen on Mar. 25, 1986, discloses a pair of self adjusting tongs for grasping food, wherein the jaws are independently rotatable within a limited angular range about corresponding pivot axes, with each jaw being spring loaded by an arcuate spring extension of the jaw, the end of the spring extension constituting a loop which surrounds and slides along the corresponding stem of the tongs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,569, which issued to J. Dunn et al on Aug. 19, 1986, discloses a pair of food grasping tongs adapted for handling foods such as spaghetti, beans and other foods which are difficult to handle. The tongs have a ladle bowl at the end of one stem and a spoon at the other end of the other stem. The ladle bowl and spoon have perforated major surfaces for draining purposes.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose food handling tongs having opposed upper and lower plates each provided with a plurality of apertures surrounded by oppositely directed frusto conical portions. Additionally, none of the aforesaid devices are suitable for removing excess fats and grease from food items. An additional feature of the present invention, not disclosed by any of the aforesaid prior art patents, is the provision of removable drip pans for food handling tongs for collecting fats and grease squeezed from food items. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of tongs, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such tongs, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.